How I constantly worked my way up to be the world's fastest man - Noah Lyles

American speedster Noah Lyles is unarguably the face of men's sprint in athletics. As the reigning Olympic and World 100m champion, he earned the bragging rights of the world's fastest man .

Interestingly, the sprint star didn't start out as a youth prodigy, but through the years worked his way to the pinnacle of the sport, to which he will be chasing another piece of history at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Ahead of his next race at the Silesia Diamond League on August 16, where he's set to race a stacked field that includes fierce Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson, Lyles detailed what it takes for him to face and be the best consistently.

"Constantly forcing myself to have to be better or being in different positions. You know, when I first started, a lot of people knew me as a 200m runner. I always knew myself to be a 100m runner as well, but I just didn't have the part of my career that could showcase that," said Lyles during the Silesia Diamond League press conference.

Lyles has been a force to reckon with in the men's sprint division since 2019, when he blazed to the 200m world title in Doha. He successfully defended his title in 2022 on home soil in Eugene, clocking a massive American record of 19.31 seconds, which is the third fastest time in history, stamping his name among the greatest 200m runners in history.

Having dominated the 200m event, he switched to the 100m in 2023, left his mark again with exceptional triple titles (100m, 200m, and 4x100m) at the world championships in Budapest, before his first Olympic 100m gold in Paris last summer.

His rise to the top as one of the world's most famous athletes is one he cherishes and is not willing to relinquish anytime soon.

"After I got the 200m on lock, I moved on to adding the 100, and we put a lot of work into that and these are the results. I got the triple gold at Budapest, the Olympic gold in the 100, bronze in the 200, and now I'm known as one of the best 100m runners in the world and the world's fastest man," he added.

"So I'm constantly forcing myself into uncomfortable positions so that I have to show up. Constantly putting myself into races where people who may have faster season's best than me or PR's than me. That's what gets me excited. Having to step up and make the moment count," he concluded.

The hallmark of all track and field competitions this season will be the World Championships in Tokyo, and Lyles will be gunning to defend his sprint titles. If successful, will make him the first male sprinter since Usain Bolt to achieve such feat.